Easy As Falling Off A Bike pt 200

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I didn't want to, I needed some peace and quiet and here was another Cameron telling me what to do. "Erm, Henry, can we leave it a few days?"

"Of course you can, but indulge me and tell me there's no one else."

I felt quite wounded and angry at this remark. "I have to go Henry, goodbye."

Easy As Falling Off A Bike
by Angharad
part 200.

Simon sloped off from the lounge, his shoulders sagging. I didn't know what to say, so I kept quiet. My eyes were still red with tears, and I felt as if the happiness I had considered my future wasn't going to happen.

The woman who had summed up my recent madcap past stood fuming in the centre of the lounge floor. I was sad that she wouldn't be my sister in law after all. I wanted to go to sleep and wake up realising it was all a bad dream.

"Men," Stella kept saying to herself, over and over and I began to wonder if she'd somehow got her tongue stuck like records sometimes do. Then she began pacing back and fore, waving her hands about and still muttering, 'men'.

I wondered if I could sneak out of the room without her noticing me, I needed to wee.

"And where are you going?"

I almost stopped and wet myself, "Please miss I need to go to the loo," came out of my mouth. I felt myself blush with embarrassment.

"Well hurry back and don't fraternise with the enemy."

I dashed out before I had an accident. Whilst sat on the loo I thought about what she had said. It was a bit biased towards me and I knew that Simon is not as selfish as he appears, having loads of good qualities as well as bad ones.

Then, I felt irritation at the way Stella was bossing me about. She might be older and even wiser than I am, but it's my life and I have a right to make my own mistakes. As for fraternising, I don't think Simon would want to anyway, but I certainly don't see him as an enemy.

I went upstairs and stretched out on the bed. I felt exhausted and my eyes closed of their own accord. I suspect I was asleep in minutes.

I don't know how long I slept, Simon had gone off to see his dad and Stella was pacing about miffed that I had disappeared again. I awoke at about three in the afternoon. I felt a little better but not much. I was still aware that I had lost my happiness.

I was wondering if I should go shopping and make us a nice dinner when the phone rang. Stella answered it and called me. I stumbled down the stairs to get it.

"Hello?" I said.

"Hello Cathy, I've some sad news, Stevie died this morning about eight o'clock."

"What? But he can't have, it's much to sudden, he should live for weeks yet."

"Maybe he decided he didn't want to."

"Yeah okay, was his family there?"

"His mother and sister were."

"Do we know when the funeral is?"

"Not yet."

"Okay, thanks Tom." What a wonderful day this was turning out to be. "Oh Tom, what would you like to eat for dinner tonight?"

"Let's go out somewhere, my treat."

How can you tell someone who has just offered to buy you a tasty meal that you don't want to go out tonight? I didn't know so I didn't stop him.

I'd just put the phone down when it rang again. I picked it up and said, "Hello?"

"Is that you Cathy?"

"Henry?"

"Yes dear girl, 'tis I, patriarch and ladies man." I could hear the self mockery in his voice.

I chuckled down the phone, though I don't know why because I felt quite sad.

"It's good to hear you laugh girl. I have just had Simon inform me that your engagement is off."

"Erm."

"Well he said you gave back the ring, isn't that a the classic way of ending an engagement?"

"Erm," I had this massive vocabulary.

"Have you really thought it through?"

"Erm," scintillating, isn't it?

"I know he's a bit of a prat, but he's a good lad really and he's extremely upset about this."

"But he rejected me, Henry!"

"I'm sure that was a mistake."

"It might have been, but he repeated it about twenty minutes later."

"He told me why it happened."

"I know why it happened. He was reminded of what I was at a physical level."

"Indeed, very well put darling girl. He is sorry about it."

"So am I, but I can't cope with a man who thinks I'm neurotic, it would get on my nerves."

Henry began laughing loudly over the phone, "Neurotic, get on my nerves! Oh how funny, you should be on telly dear girl."

"I was, which is part of the reason we're in this mess."

Henry roared with laughter again. I didn't think it was very funny.

"Look, can you to get together and iron out your differences and get back to where you were?"

"How do I know?" I said loudly.

"Well I'll give you the name of a good pub and you can talk things over with him."

I didn't want to, I needed some peace and quiet and here was another Cameron telling me what to do. "Erm, Henry, can we leave it a few days?"

"Of course you can, but indulge me and tell me there's no one else."

I felt quite wounded and angry at this remark. "I have to go Henry, goodbye."

I had just told a very wealthy peer of the realm to effectively piss off. I went to find Stella, albeit with mixed feelings, her whole family seemed set on running my life, or should that be ruining it?

"Tom is taking us out to dinner, he told me the Stevie died. Oh and I told your dad to take a running jump."

"Sorry about Stevie."

"Yeah, I only met him two weeks ago and already I feel part of my life has been torn away from me." I bit my bottom lip.

The phone rang again and Stella rose to answer it. "If that's Henry, tell him I went out."

I heard her talking for a few minutes, then she came back with a piece of paper in her hand. "Can you ring this number?"

"Who is it?" I said looking at the number which was for a mobile phone.

"Mandy? Stevie's sister."

"Oh shit!" Not exactly the person I would have chosen to talk with. It felt like I was doing a tutorial the last twice. "Can you make some tea?" I asked her.

I picked up the cordless phone and wandered to the dining room. I punched in the numbers and eventually I heard it ring. I hoped it would be answered by voicemail and I could escape with a message. Instead a very human voice answered it.

"Hello?"

"Hi Mandy, it's Cathy Watts."

"Oh Lady Catherine, thanks for ringing back."

"No Mandy, not lady, just Cathy." I tried to explain but she wasn't interested.

"Did you get my message?"

"Yes, I'm terribly sorry to hear about Stevie."

"Yes, but he asked me to call you."

Oh oh! The red lights began to flash. "Well I shall be at the funeral if I possibly can."

"He wants you to read the lesson."

"Oh!" Why does this happen to me? I was just going to stand at the back and get away quick once it was over. Now I couldn't.

"When is it?"

"December twenty seventh, they can't do it before Christmas."

Well I could cope with that. I still had shopping to do. Although I wondered if I should buy Simon something or not. I decided I better had.

I accepted that I would be around for the funeral and agreed to this request, not that I could refuse anyway. Oh boy, I do find myself in all sorts of bother for no obvious reason.

I tried to think about presents I had to get. Daddy, Tom, Simon and Stella. I also thought it would nice to get Pippa something and perhaps her two kids. Oh and some fresh hazel nuts for Spike.

"I'd like to get Simon something for Christmas, what do you suggest?"

"A tin of humble pie," she replied.

"You're a lot of help."

"He's my brother, I love him but I don't have to like him. You're my sister, I love you too and I like you loads more than I do him."

What do you say to that? I blushed instead of speaking. I wasn't her sister and if Simon and I stayed apart, I wouldn't be so.

"I love being thought of as your little sister Stella, but if Simon and I don't get back together...."

"Oh sod that, I know when I'm related to someone and I know you were meant to be my little sister."

I wasn't going to argue with her it was pointless and besides, I felt I needed a big sister, possibly even more than a fiance or husband. "Okay Big Sis, what say we hug on it?"

She stood up and threw her arms around me and nearly crushed me with her enthusiasm. "I need a little sister so from now on whatever happens to us, we are sisters. Agreed?"

I hugged her back but not as fiercely, I wasn't strong enough for one thing, but I didn't need to. I was the baby sister and it suited me fine. "Agreed," I said and we hugged tightly again. I was rather glad she didn't have some public school ritual for the occasion, because it was the sort of thing I could imagine them doing in the dorm after lights out and before the bun fight, or pillow fight.

"So what about a prezzie for Simon?" I asked again after we had parted.

"A fountain pen, he likes that sort of thing. I gave him one a few years ago and he lost it. I don't think he's got one since."

"Okay, I'll have a look online and see what's about." I knew what I was going to buy her, a new mirror, the one in her bedroom was smashed and I'd seen one in an antique shop near the harbour some while ago.

Tom, I was tempted to get a catering box of frozen chicken curries, instead I'd get some red wine. I also needed some new nighties for hospital and a dressing gown and slippers.

I wasn't sure what I'd be doing for Christmas, possibly staying here or dashing up and down to Bristol. I wanted to see my dad and I had to get him something, a bottle of Johnny Walker black label would be a start. Maybe I should make him a Christmas sponge and ice it, he didn't like fruit cake or Christmas pud, neither did I, so a sponge, some soup and some home made bread, would have to do.

I noticed the envelope addressed to me on the side table in the hall. I opened it, it was a payslip from the bank. I gasped at the amount. The sum I was paying in tax and National Insurance was more than I usually had in the bank. How could they justify paying this to me as their 'Ecological Consultant'? I hadn't done anything yet. There was two and a half thousand in my account.

I wondered if they would ask for it back if I didn't marry Simon and spoke to Stella about it. She seemed to think not, it was a post they needed and if they got some sticky issues to deal with, I would be expected to sort it out for them. I hoped that wouldn't arise but I knew I was deluding myself. I tried to promise myself that I wouldn't compromise my principles for those of the bank's if they clashed, but already I knew I was compromised in accepting the post, not that Henry had given me much chance and Tom had also put on the pressure.

Why was life so complicated?

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Comments

I also agree with John

Stella would make a wizard partner for Cathy, she may be crazy, but she's crazy in the right way. But I suspect Cathy will end back up with Simon, why else is she thinking about a Christmas prezzie (even a pen, sort of thing I'd have bought my dad when I was a kid)? Typical daft Cathy, her life has just had a major upheaval and she's worry about who to shop for.

KJT

"Freedom's just another word for nothing left to lose"
Janis Joplin


"Life is not measured by the breaths you take, but by the moments that take your breath away.”
George Carlin

I believe that Cathy and

I believe that Cathy and Simon will see each other in a whole new light after New Years Day and her surgery. She will go on to become Lady Cameron. J-Lynn

I'm glad...

that you have Cathy "cooling" it for a bit. Despite the extra angst for between Christmas & new years. If Cathy's learned how to keep Stella's bossyness at arms length, then with the Stella we've seen lately things may be working there.

I wonder when Stella's little DNC will become known to brother & family... Internal hemoraging like that don't tend to happen spontaneously, except when an author wants them to.

It's still fun. Pray keep it up.

Happy 200th episode

Thanks for a sad (Stevie)but not overly devasting chapter too celebrate your 200th.Cathy didn't wake up as Charlie and theres hope for a reconciliation between Cathy and Simon.Please don't turn Cathy into a lesbian TS woman theres plenty of stories about them.A Nice romantic story about a heterosexual TS woman is what I've been reading and it's what I'd like to finish somewheres past the 500 chapter mark.As always you have done a splendid job.Amy

I agree and disagree

Amy,

Well I do agree that once Simon is fitted with a brain capable of empathy that he and Cathy should get back together. However I disagree on another point, I don't think there are enough lesbian/bi TS love stories. From my point of view there is an over abundance of heterosexual TS love stories.

Please note I'm talking about love stories not sex stories.

Just the subjective viewpoint from someone on the other side of the fence. So we can agree to disagree. We do agree that Angharad has created a wonderful story.

Congratulations Angharad.

Arwen

I can agree with you

I have seen far to many TS sex stories and not enough with the kind of substance that this story has Lesbian,Bi or straight.So maybe we can agree that more stories with romance and passion need to be written.How about some stories for the over thirty crowd as well although judging by the hit counter youth sells.Amy

Angharad, #200 Well Worth The Wait

Cathy needs to rally think things through about Simon and her future. Stella ans Cathy are now sisters even if she doesn't marry Simon. It was great hearing from Henry too. But poor Cathy now has a most terrible duty to perform for Stevie.

You have not let up on the story at all. Here, you have reminded us of all the players in this daily soap. Well, except for those bullies where Cathy has her apartment, but those are bit players.

I look forward to reading future episodes of this wonderful series and anticipate more twists and turns from your fertile imagination.
May Your Light Forever Shine

    Stanman
May Your Light Forever Shine

Liked the sisters and hugs part

Cathy and Stella are good for each other.

Guess I hope she and Simon get back together too. I'd prefer to see him come crawling on his lordly knees begging her to take him back. (although I think she over reacted too...but stress, hormones, self esteem issues, etc can explain that) Guess they both need to forgive each other. And Simon does have some good qualities. He stayed with Cathy for the TV thing!

Many Happy Returns!!!

May the saga long continue! But don't overdo it, writer's cramp is painful.

Sinisterpenguin

Part 200??!!

Congratulations on keeping the serial going so long. Surely this is a new record? I've never encountered one that went that long before!

And I'm astounded that you keep up the quality -- it's not just quantity!

Jenny Grier (Mrs.)

x

Yours from the Great White North,

Jenny Grier (Mrs.)

On Your Double Century Mark

Congratulations!

Especially, congratulations on keeping it fresh and engaging. It's showing no signs of getting stale or boring any time soon!

Congratulations - Llongyfarchiadau!

Well done on your amazing achievement Angharad. I always look forward to read your latest chapter.

Cofleidiau

Alys

Comment on the Comment

Je ne suis pas contre l'utilisation des autres langues sur cette site mais, donné que la langue de la site est l'anglais, surement c'est juste poli de donner un traduction en anglais pour nous autres qui ne parle pas cette langue-la?

Não sou contra a utilização das outras línguas neste site mas, por que a língua da site é o inglés, com certeza é somente educado dar uma tradução no inglés?

I'm not against the use of other languages on this site but, given that the site's language is English, isn't it just polite to provide a translation into English?

Jenny Grier (Mrs.)

x

Yours from the Great White North,

Jenny Grier (Mrs.)

It's me who's astonished

Angharad's picture

How have I been able to get away with posting this amount of nonsense for so long? Thanks to Erin for her indulgence, and of course the readers who make it such a worthwhile exercise in futility. I believe there is a subculture who compete to see which episode has the greatest number of mistakes, and there are those who suggest it was starting it in the first place.

How has it got to this size? Dunno, but I suspect writing a bit every night and posting it, may have something to do with it.

Hugs to all,

Angharad.

Angharad

Mistakes? (you've made a few but then again too few to mention)

(to paraphrase old Frank)

Yeah, there are a few in each chapter but overall the quality is great. And what do you want? A chapter a day with a minor gramatical error now and then or a completely polished chapter a week. In the spirit of the US elections, I'll vote for option 1. Thanks Angharad, I always look forward to my daily dose of Cathy and her friends.

You have created a monster

...and as Doctor Frankenstein said "it's alive!"

I think it astonishes all of us daily...

NB

And the Doctor says it...

9 times a week on broadway these days. So, Angharad will have performances eventually catching her, if she keeps to her daily posting. We'll see who has the longer run. Angharad or Mel Brooks. May the race be fun.

(I do admit that Mel only had to had to WRITE his piece once (well twice I guess). But, it's the fun that counts.)

My sister isn't

my sister but she, at 14 years my junior, is an absolute gem. We met 5 years ago, have absolutely nothing at all in common but I love her to bits.

Stella has that wonderful combination of sanity and insanity that Cathy needs and who better to share a hug? At least there's no hidden agenda (Oops, I forgot about Angharad for a moment; authors sometimes throw spanners into the plot, just for the hell of it).

May I also add my congratulations on your 200th? Just think, another 200 episodes and you'll be able to celebrate with a can of Australian beer (XXXX), or should that be CD? Which is where some of your readers came in. I wonder; would 400 Roman Crossdressers be CD CDs?

Susie

Roman Crossdressers

Angharad's picture

I thought the only guys running round Rome in long dresses were in the Vatican. Or is that a(Pope)Urban Myth?

Angharad

Angharad

Bike

Well Angharad,I finally reached part 200 and I promised you a comment.

Dda iawn Cariad. Bendigedig!
Some may say that your story moves too quickly and too much has happened to a single person to make the story pausible.
Older, more experienced members of the trans community, (like 63-year-old tranny me,) know otherwise.

Shit always gets dumped in heaps and it seems to happen during those critical years in your late teens and twenties when you're finally getting some sort of grip on your life if you have survived the inevitable childhood trauma and anguish. You touched well upon the invariable family issues that are usually the hall mark of all of us who have been put through that hardest of all mills.

I'm enjoying this story. Angharad is a tough little bird and getting tougher. However having said all this, I readily recognise the vulnerability and insecurity surrounding her life.
Keep going girl!

Love and hugs,
Beverly!

Dart board

I suspect you got some new darts for Christmas. Things keep popping up.

I see a time slippage, when you started it was pretty much day by day, now it is several days before Christmas and moving slow. Does this mean it will move faster later on?

200 in the box.

On to the next 8 dozen +4.


I wear this crown of thorns
Upon my liar's chair
Full of broken thoughts
I cannot repair

Stella !

To quote G&S again, "oh don't the days grow lank and long, when all goes right, and nothing goes wrong ? "
The Irish I ken, not so the Welsh.
Things are starting to look up, the Viscount needs to stay out of it . I just grabbed the Kleenex box for the funeral.
No pressure Cath !

Cefin

Well, I made it through Part

Well, I made it through Part 200, even with the web site being down for most of the day. I still don't know why I stopped reading this way back went. But, I know what I like about it, first is the story line, second is the characters, and lastly is your writing style. Living on the other side of the pond, I have to stop every once in a while and Google something to find the meaning, but I'm learning some British slang.